MUNCIE, Ind. -- The Ball State soccer team hits the road for a key Mid-American Conference weekend with games at Bowling Green and Central Michigan.

With three regular-season games remaining, the Cardinals (9-4-3 overall, 4-2-2 MAC) are in the mix for one of the top four seeds in the conference tournament and the opportunity to host a first-round game.

Ball State can improve its hosting chances on its final road trip of the regular season. The team will play at Bowling Green at 7 p.m. Friday at Central Michigan at 3 p.m. Sunday.

The Cardinals are coming off a pair of 2-2 ties at home last weekend against Toledo and Northern Illinois. Michelle Blok scored her fourth goal of the season to tie Kelsey Wendlandt for the team lead. Blok also owns a pair of assists to lead the Cardinals with 10 total points.

Ball State remains the top defensive team in the MAC with a 0.76 goals against average. Goalkeepers Layne Schramm and Brooke Dennis rank first and third in the league in that category individually.

Bowling Green (0-13-1 overall, 0-7-1 MAC) lost a pair of games last weekend at Akron and Buffalo. Madeline Wideman leads the Falcons with three goals and three assists, while Lauren Cadel has started all 14 games between the posts and owns a 2.14 goals against average.

Central Michigan (6-9-1 overall, 6-2 MAC) enters the weekend tied for the top spot in the league standings. The Chippewas hit their stride at the beginning of the league schedule after a tough non-conference slate and have now won four games in a row.

Laura Gosse paces Central Michigan with five goals on the season, while Grace Labrecque owns a 0.88 goals against average in the net. Defense has been the key to the Chippewas’ conference success as the team is allowing just 0.62 goals per game in league play.

Following this weekend’s contests, Ball State will return to Muncie to close out the regular season Thursday, Oct. 31 against Miami University.